I've now read The Game of School twice, and my mind is racing with so many clips and thoughts from my own education and my childrens'. I never minded high school and was always one of those students who, for better or worse, did what I was assigned the best I could. But rather than the negative I remembered my Spanish teacher and how much we all adored him and would do anything for him. He was my teacher all four years; by senior year there were under ten of us in the class and it felt like we were on the same playing field with him. I can honestly say his class was the best part of my day as well as many other classmates. BUT I think we all got the feeling it was his favorite class too. We felt like there was no place he'd rather be. I'm not sure how Spanish can be quite so engaging, but I believe it goes back to that "passion". This teacher had an abundance. He shared stories, and when he was fascinated by something it was contagious! Just those memories make me smile.
The rest of the clips in my mind really are from my children and are more recent: the third grade teacher who appeared to be teaching at a high school level, yet when observed it was clear the kids were rising to her standards, not fighting it or getting lost. One quick story: the vocabulary lists would contain words that we as parents were confident in defining, but when my son exclaimed that it was fortuitous that he had found his pencil, he got a reward ticket. This teacher clearly loved what she was doing and set a high bar for success. The kids got caught up in it without even realizing what happened. And lastly, my sophomore son's English teacher, who challenged them all year and who my son claimed was the best teacher he ever had. That's not an easy feat in high school. However, here's where the game comes into play. This teacher told me he can never get Brian to speak in class even though he knows Brian knows the information. When I asked my son he said, "It's so stupid. Participation is a big part of our grade so people just yell things out so they can get a good grade." That really struck me.
I think this game is a very large part of why it can be so difficult to change school. We all know that once you are in a comfortable situation a kind of inertia sets in. It is one that can be difficult to change and requires a lot of time, energy and commitment. It's not just educators. I think it's life. Maybe administrators and reformers need some of that passion to inspire teachers to help with reform. Passion can be contagious.
The rest of the clips in my mind really are from my children and are more recent: the third grade teacher who appeared to be teaching at a high school level, yet when observed it was clear the kids were rising to her standards, not fighting it or getting lost. One quick story: the vocabulary lists would contain words that we as parents were confident in defining, but when my son exclaimed that it was fortuitous that he had found his pencil, he got a reward ticket. This teacher clearly loved what she was doing and set a high bar for success. The kids got caught up in it without even realizing what happened. And lastly, my sophomore son's English teacher, who challenged them all year and who my son claimed was the best teacher he ever had. That's not an easy feat in high school. However, here's where the game comes into play. This teacher told me he can never get Brian to speak in class even though he knows Brian knows the information. When I asked my son he said, "It's so stupid. Participation is a big part of our grade so people just yell things out so they can get a good grade." That really struck me.
I think this game is a very large part of why it can be so difficult to change school. We all know that once you are in a comfortable situation a kind of inertia sets in. It is one that can be difficult to change and requires a lot of time, energy and commitment. It's not just educators. I think it's life. Maybe administrators and reformers need some of that passion to inspire teachers to help with reform. Passion can be contagious.